Renovations Start on Civil War Memorial Honoring the Massachusetts 54th Regiment

A memorial dedicated to the first African-American regiment in the Northern army during the Civil War is undergoing a major renovation, and construction officially began at the site Wednesday.

Sitting at the edge of Boston Common, just across the street from the State House, the memorial shows an image cast in bronze of the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry and their leader, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, heading into battle. It was given to the city of Boston in 1897.

About 900 feet of signage featuring recruiting signs from the era, handwritten letters from Shaw, and photos of the men who served in the 54th Regiment will line the fences of the construction site while crews work there, officials said.